Larry Walker-Tonks was born in Hartlepool, England. He developed an interest in art at a young age and graduated from Teesside University in 2013 with a Degree in Fine Art. Shortly after, Larry moved to Manchester in order to further his artistic career and continued to show work across the UK and internationally. In 2015 Larry began an MA in Contemporary Fine Art at the University of Salford which he completed in 2017. In 2017 Larry worked as a Design Assistant for immersive performance/installation 'Party Skills for the End of the World, part of Manchester International Festival 2017. Larry has recently completed an artist residency at the Embassy of Foreign Artists, Geneva, Switzerland.
Larry Walker-Tonks’ on-going GRUNDER series which he began during his MA at the University of Salford after growing tired of having feeling that his body was treated as a commodity by other users on dating apps.
“The series reflects upon how we present ourselves online; how we use dating apps like Grindr and Tinder; the consequences of a highly sexualized western culture; and how new-found online anonymity has torn down the boundaries between what is and is not acceptable public discourse, which has resulted in an accepted laddish camaraderie and “send nudes” culture in the Facebook age. In this context project serves as an intervention and warning.”